Author: John Carter

What Does Xanax Feel Like? And 10 Other FAQs About Effects, Dose

Most of these side effects may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. However, if they become more severe or do not go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Xanax tablets are immediate release, which means all the medication is released as soon as the tablet dissolves. It’s called Xanax XR, and it’s FDA approved to treat only panic disorder. In addition, anticholinergic medications can cause confusion, which can further impair memory. Before your doctor prescribes Xanax for you, they’ll evaluate your risk for misuse and addiction.

  1. If you’re struggling with memory loss and wondering what drugs might be causing it, you’re not alone.
  2. This article provides several useful tips on medication disposal.
  3. Some dietary supplements and herbal remedies can also cause memory loss.
  4. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.
  5. Doctors report an increase in deaths among people with severe breathing problems who were taking Xanax.

Does the dosage change the way it affects you?

By binding to GABA receptors in the brain, Xanax reduces the release of certain neurotransmitters, leading to a decrease in brain signals. This mechanism can result in drowsiness, forgetfulness, and difficulties in forming new memories. Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and other mental health issues. While these medications are effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety, they can also lead to memory loss.

What Types of Drugs Can Make You Forget Things?

Avoid storing this medication in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms. How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication. If you’re not sure whether you’ll need to get prior authorization for Xanax, contact your insurance company.

Your doctor will prescribe Xanax at the lowest dose and for the shortest amount of time that’s effective for treating your condition. Once you stop taking Xanax, any side effects you may have had from the drug should go away. Talk with your doctor or other health care professional about treating your condition with other types of drugs or nondrug treatments. If you are taking these medications for insomnia, for instance, the first line of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). And an antidepressant might be able to treat your anxiety, Devanand notes. Drugs that affect short-term memory can interfere with a person’s ability to focus and process information.

Alternatives for generalized anxiety disorder

That’s because these drugs block the action of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that mediates all sorts of functions in the body. In the bladder, anticholinergics prevent involuntary contractions of the muscles that control urine flow. In the brain, they inhibit activity in the memory and learning centers. The risk of memory loss is heightened when the drugs are taken for more than a short time or used with other anticholinergic drugs.

How to improve working memory in adults?

A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Taking Xanax or other benzodiazepines with opioids can result in severe drowsiness, trouble breathing, coma, and death. For more information, refer to the “Side effects explained” section above. To reduce your risk of dependence and withdrawal symptoms, your doctor will lower your dose of Xanax slowly when stopping it. How slowly your dosage will be lowered and when you can stop Xanax depends on how you react to dosage changes.

Before stopping or reducing the dosage of these sleeping aids, be sure to consult your health care provider. Sudden withdrawal can cause serious side effects, so a health professional should always monitor the process. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be another option, but again, it’s important to consult your doctor about risks, side effects and drug interactions for all medications. Alprazolam can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication or alcohol. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up. Xanax is also used to treat panic disorders with or without a fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment (agoraphobia).

For more information about the possible side effects of Xanax, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to manage any side effects that may concern or bother you. Eating foods with a higher fiber content, drinking plenty of liquids, and getting regular exercise can help relieve constipation. Since Xanax is recommended as a short-term treatment, once you stop taking the drug, your constipation should go away. Some people report an increased sex drive, but others report a decrease. An important side effect to consider in older adults is trouble with balance and coordination.

Side Effects of Quitting Smoking Marijuana

Some withdrawal symptoms may last up to 12 months or longer. Time of day may play an important role in the effects of alprazolam on memory. A study in the October 1998 issue of the “Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology” showed that alprazolam can, under some circumstances, enhance memory gain 4.

Doctors usually prescribe lower doses of Xanax for older adults and may increase the dose slowly if needed. But if you have any symptoms that are ongoing or bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And do not stop taking Xanax unless your doctor recommends it. The kinds of side effects you can have may vary depending on the condition you’re using Xanax to treat.

For example, a person may not remember conversations they had while taking a benzodiazepine or may have difficulty recalling recent events. Misusing Xanax can cause addiction, overdose, and possibly death. To treat panic disorder, you’ll likely take Xanax three times per day.

The compounded effects of combining these drugs may be dangerous and put you at risk for health issues or death. Some people have also reported memory loss or blacking out and not remembering what happened for several hours. Other benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), can also have significant effects on memory, with potential impairments lasting even longer. However, it’s essential to understand that the memory impairments caused by Xanax are generally reversible and do not lead to permanent memory loss or impairment.